That Creeping Feeling
by CrapMonsterDuchess
Summary: A young boy, Jeremy wakes up without clothes and without recollection, save for his sister, Lyn. But forgetting about things doesn't make them go away, and a lurking horror from his past stalks them at every turn. My entry in the DDF Halloween contest.


**_Gk herpetó(n) a creeping thing (Compare hérpein to creep)_**

That Creeping Feeling

by The CrapMonsterDuchess

Colors! Reds! Blacks! Grays! They overwhelm him; swirling everywhere in violent, relentless chaos. Disembodied lips scream cries half way between agony and maniacal laughter: laughter directed at him; but who is he? Just trying to think in this maelstrom of imagery sets his brain on fire. Hotter! Redder! So intense he cannot stand it; sanity is seared from his mind! So much heat bearing down that he cannot breathe. Air! He needs air!

The boy's eyes flash open and he sucks oxygen as if breathing for the first time.

"Jeremy!"

He cannot answer her. All he can do now is gasp, and let the sweet morning air soothe his lungs. His eyes adjust to the growing sunlight and a girl hovers over him; her sandy hair held in rich pigtails.

"Jeremy!" she says again. Her words are frantic, but tinged more with excitement than fear. "Jeremy, are you ok??"

Jeremy…is that his name? Yes, it must be; that's what Lyn is calling him. Lyn is his sister--he knows that much, but everything else is a gray fog. Jeremy tries to penetrate further, but the burning strikes him again like a hot branding iron upon the forehead!

He grips his head and screams. Lyn instantly embraces him; she is only a small girl, but she does what she can to help him feel better. To Jeremy's surprise, Lyn's presence does help. Her body is warm, but it does not contribute to his torment. Instead, it soothes him enough for him to think straight. Obviously it is thinking so hard that brings him this agony, so he will let it be, for now. The instant Jeremy makes his decision, the pain completely vanishes.

His sister must feel him relaxing because she loosens her grip and asks again, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, thanks Lyn."

She pulls away from him, looking like a mess. "Eew." Viscous orange ooze covers her face and stains her otherwise clean lavender pony pajamas. Lyn did not have that when she hugged Jeremy, so he looks down at himself for confirmation.

Yes, the goop has come from him, and much more still coats his naked body. An autumn breeze sweeps through them and he suddenly feels cold. Why doesn't he have clothes? And how come he's covered in this orange stuff? Jeremy is almost tempted to probe his memory again if the heat will warm him, but Lyn notices her brother's shivering first.

"Come on, let's get you home." The morning is still early and they do not have far to go. When a person does notice the nude, slime-covered boy, they hurry faster before to avoid questions they cannot answer.

The viscous coat is dry and cracking by the time they arrive at the house. They sneak in through the loose plank in the backyard and scale the vine ladder to Lyn's balcony on the second floor. No buds bloom on the plant and its coils are hard and brown. In its preparation for winter, the vines are perfect for climbing. Thankfully, Lyn has left the sliding glass door unlocked. Her room is exactly as one would imagine for a girl her age, pinks and whites everywhere, stuffed animals and toys carpet the floor. They sneak into the bathroom, careful not to wake mom and dad.

_Weird._ Jeremy thinks, as a torrent of hot water pours down his back. The sensation alone invigorates his body, warming his bones. _I remember Lyn ok, but why can't I remember what mom and dad look like?_ Despite the familiarity, it feels as if they haven't even met. The bathwater on its own washes away much of the gunk that cakes his skin and for the stubborn patches, Lyn demonstrates how to use soap and a brush on Jeremy's arm. After he gets the hang of using it, she leaves him to take care of the rest of his…anatomy. The bristles scratch, so he tries not to brush too hard. Jeremy dislodges a sizeable chunk with a solid stroke of his arm. The substance breaks down in the water to become liquid once more…but instead of diluting into nothingness the substance deepens in color, and begins to spread.

Jeremy was covered with the fluid before and so his senses had become habituated to its odors, but now that he is mostly clean, he can smell the substance clearly. It reeks of heavy iron and raw flesh. The liquid continues to creep through the water like a cloud of ink and eventually stains the entire tub dark-orange ink. No, not orange, red; blood red.

The sudden realization seizes Jeremy like a vulture's talons and his heart leaps into his throat! His cries quickly summon a frantic Lyn into the room, with her small, hard-bound diary in one arm and a bundle of fresh clothes in the other.

"What's wrong?" Her very presence acts like a tranquilizer. Jeremy feels his anxiety subsiding, and when he looks back in the tub, what was a pool of blood is once again nothing more than dirty, slightly brown bath water.

"I just…thought I saw something." gasps Jeremy. "It's nothing."

Lyn's face betrays her concern, but she does not push the issue. "I brought you some clothes." She says, placing the bundle on the sink counter. "Your-yours aren't here, so you have to wear mine. I tried to find things boys might wear."

After Lyn leaves Jeremy launches himself out of the tub! Water spills to the floor in torrents as he wraps himself in a towel, but he doesn't care. There is no way he'll spend another minute soaking in that filth. When he is completely dry, Jeremy moves to inspect the gifts his sister has presented him. There is no underwear, which is fine since he isn't sure he'd like the feel of girl's panties. Among the assortment are several t-shirts, overalls, shorts, and jeans. Jeremy chooses the jeans. Lyn is smaller than he is, so the fit is a bit tight, but they will do. Embroidered along the back pockets are pink flowers and vines, but fortunately the white linen t-shirt is long enough to cover most of it. Because of the autumn weather, Lyn has also left him with a deep red sports jacket. Jeremy puts it on after some hesitation, and zips it tight. He selects a particularly beat up looking pair of sneakers; hopefully they're so torn and dirty that no one will notice the purple ponies on them.

--

It is only after opening the door to Lyn's room does he think to knock, but fortunately she has already changed. Lyn sits at her pearl-white dresser, still scribbling furiously into her little book. When she sees Jeremy, she greets him in a fresh green dress with a smile on her face.

"I hope everything fit okay."

"Yeah, I think they did." Answers Jeremy, as he pulls the t-shirt down farther. He'll take no chances with the flowers. "Thanks."

"Come on, let's see how you look!" Lyn leads him in front of a massive rectangular mirror that hangs suspended behind her bed.

Instead of his reflection, Jeremy is greeted by a monstrous obscenity of hulking gray and black, with bloody segmented legs. The creature has no face, just a pair of oversized crimson lips, which part to reveal gleaming enamel teeth that bite the air in sadistic laughter!

A horrified Jeremy leaps backwards into Lyn! She manages to catch him, but the momentum knocks both of them to the floor. "Jeremy-"

"A monster!" He does not want to sound like a scared baby, but there is no other word for it.

"Where?" asks Lyn whilst urgently glancing about the room.

"In the mirror!" but even as Jeremy points, he can no longer see the apparition. Only two startled eight year olds, twins. The boy's hair is slightly darker than his sister, and his build lankier, but they share the same cyan eyes.

"Are you sure?" Lyn whispers.

"No!" Jeremy snarls out of frustration and clutches his throbbing head. Lyn scoots back to give him some space. "Why do I keep seeing things that aren't there? How come I remember how to speak, but you've got to teach me how to bathe? What was that stuff covering me and why was I in the park naked? And why does it hurt every time I try to remember anything besides you?!" Jeremy shouts the last part, and instantly wishes he hadn't. "I'm sorry Lyn, I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok." She says, even as her eyes blink to fight back the tears. "I'm still scared too."

"Scared of what? What happened to me?"

"…Nothing."

Jeremy notices the diary lying open on the floor a split second after Lyn. She moves to shield it from view. "Is it in the book? Did you write it down?"

No answer.

"Let me see!" Jeremy lunges, but Lyn clasps it tight to her body and turns away! He tries to pin her and wrestle it from her hands, but she flails wildly! In the confusion, Lyn kicks her brother in the stomach and badly winds him. The walls close in on him! Jeremy's body burns for precious oxygen! He tries to breath, but his diaphragm is crushed! He can only manage rasping huffs as deprivation quickly overtakes him. Once more, the world around him spins: a cotton candy blitz of fading pinks and whites. Darkness sets in just as Jeremy loses his balance and topples over.

--

When Jeremy opens his eyes it is already dark, but this blackness surrounding him is too unnatural to be night. There is no telling how much time has passed. He isn't even sure if he is still in Lyn's room. Lyn! Jeremy calls out to her but there is no reply, not even an echo. He is alone in, wherever here is.

No, not alone; the hairs on his neck attest that there is something there with him. _Klack. Klack. Klack! _Something hard and chitinus moves behind him. Jeremy spins around but he can barely see his own hands, never mind what else is out there. There, to his left! A shadow in the darkness. _Ssssshhhhhhh._ It vanishes just as quickly.

He could barely make out a hulking misshapen form and a snake-like tail before it slithered out of view. Whatever is stalking him, it is big, and it is fast. _And it's toying with me._ He realizes. Jeremy's heart races, it becomes harder for him to breath. He tries to remain calm, but is own body betrays him. _Run! Flee!_ Part of Jeremy screams, but another part warns that every path will lead to certain death.

"_Cht-cht-cht-cht!"_ The sound comes from right behind him! Jeremy tries to scream, but his voice dies in his throat. He leaps away and turns, but he still can't see anything. A pair of spider-like legs suddenly seizes him from the darkness behind him! Their railroad spike tips dig into his shoulders, drawing blood. It hurts so much that it burns! Jeremy screams from fear as much as agony when they hook into him-- shredding flesh and sinew as they lift his body off the ground, before tossing him as if he were nothing.

As if lit by a spotlight, Jeremy's attacker looms into view, casting even more shadows across the floor. It is the same creature from the mirror. Jeremy tries to get up, but the claws dig into him once more and blind him with red-hot flashes of pain. This…thing, it will not let him move-- will not let him get away. Its maw gapes wide and Jeremy can see faces from inside, staring back at him. Devils, demons, ghosts—a nightmare menagerie guaranteed to wither even the bravest hearts, and all of them are laughing at him.

"_Join us! Join!"_ they seem to shout, lunging outwards for him as they do.

This has to be a dream, some horrible nightmare! But everything is too real, the pain is too real. He can make out detail on this abomination that torments him—the rubbery creases of its lips, the glossy sheen of its exoskeleton legs, and the grooved texture of its teeth. Jeremy can even see into its mind and gleam every perverse thought the monster has, including its plans for him. For the first time, Jeremy screams in true terror.

The jaws part further, and the saliva pooling in its mouth overflows. Some of it drips precariously over Jeremy's face. The vile fluid threatens to coat him like slime and burn away his flesh. Instead, tiny droplets gently patter the side of his face. They are watery, and only slightly sting as they slide down his cheek.

--

The ceiling is the first thing Jeremy sees when he comes to. He is still lying where he fell, and the lighting hasn't changed. He could not have been out for that long. A pitiful noise catches his attention and he turns his head to see Lyn sobbing beside him. More tears continue to trickle down her face and then land on his, leaving a trail of minute salt crystals and trace elements wherever they touch. At Lyn's side is her diary, unattended and vulnerable, but the desire to seize it no longer burns within Jeremy, not when his sister is like this.

"Lyn…hey Lyn, it's okay." He whispers. "I'm okay." It is a half truth. Better here than trapped in that frightening hallucination.

His sister hugs him, but does not stop crying. "I thought I lost you again."

Rather than inquire further, Jeremy reciprocated his sister's affection. "I guess I have to relearn everything from scratch." He sighs. "Any ideas where to start?" Lyn wipes the rest of her tears and nods happily. After she helps her brother to his feet, the siblings make sure the coast is clear, and then make there way downstairs and to the garage with Lyn in the lead. Behind her, Jeremy gingerly rubs his still throbbing shoulders.

--

"I thought since the weather is still good, we could start with bike riding." Lyn says. The light crunch of gravel is music to Jeremy's ears when she wheels out her polished white bicycle. "Daddy just teached me, so we'll be pretty much the same." She bends over to inspect the frame. The chain is taught and her hand slides away with a coat of black grease—icky, but perfect. The lavender seat should be the right height for both of them and the streamer-tipped handle bars swung freely from side to side. Lyn suddenly feels embarrassed asking her brother to ride a girl's bike. "Sorry, you have to use mine. Your bike is-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. My bike's not here."

The silence that followed was awkward to say the least, but Lyn does not want to waste any more of their time together. "So to start, just kind of sit on the bike like this and hold yourself with your feet." she demonstrates. She moves off, so that Jeremy can try, but he can barely keep both toes on the ground as he straddles the seat. The bike lists from side to side. He tries gripping both handle bars to keep the wheels straight, but nothing helps until Lyn grabs the seat of his bike for him, holding it steady.

"Thanks."

"You got it? Ok, so now I'm going to push and you start peddling."

Jeremy's vice-like hold on the handles tightens in anticipation. Excitement kicks in as soon as he starts moving and he guns the pedals for all their worth

"Careful! Don't go too fast!"

In truth, an adult can probably still outrun him, but as far as Jeremy is concerned, this was the ultimate rush! Everything he sees melts together into an incredible blur! The wind, whipping at his face! In his limited vocabulary, only two words can summarize the ecstasy coursing through him: Total Awesome. Jeremy's legs cycle harder—intent on pushing the limits, but in his rush, he loses control of the handle bars!

"Jeremy!"

He fights the wheel wildly—determined to regain control of his runaway steed as it careens and swerves dangerously out of the driveway and on to the sidewalk. Jeremy jerks the bars a hard right, but his action overcompensates! In the blink of an eye, the wheel rotates a full ninety degrees and plows the bike to a sudden stop. Too sudden! The next thing Jeremy knows, the front tire is beneath him and the rear tire above! Momentum tosses bike and rider head over heels in a vertical one-eighty! It is perhaps the second most terrifying moment of Jeremy's life, but this time the fear only fuels the adrenaline rush. Even when cart-wheeling through the air, Jeremy can appreciate the thrill this accident represents.

The crash _almost_ makes him change his mind. Flashes of red and black! Jeremy literally face-plants the pavement but continues to carry forward with the bike, rolling on his side several more feet. His head and neck are throbbing, having absorbed the worst of the impact. Jeremy's clothes are frayed at the arms and legs, and although he cannot see them, he is pretty sure the stinging he feels means he has cuts beneath the tortured fabric. As much as they smart however, they are nothing compared to his face. Entire patches of skin are sheered away to reveal raw, pink under-tissue. All too soon, the boy's autonomic system reacts, and increased amounts of blood are pumped to the sight of the wound. Jeremy did not feel anything immediately because the sudden damage was a shock to his nervous system, but now that it has recovered, his face may as well be covered in acid.

"Aaaaggghhh!" He instantly brings a hand to his face: bad move. Even the slightest touch doubles the sensation of pain. "Aaaaaahhhhhh!" Jeremy pulls his hand away, but of the plasma and platelets had already formed an semi-adhesive bond. He may as well have been peeling off duct tape. _SSSSTT!_ "AAAIIIEEEEE!" Now Jeremy is really hurting.

All in all, this bike crash is a pretty average experience for an eight year old boy. Some may even say it is a right of passage, but Lyn practically glomps him in her attempt to 'help'.

"Ohmygosh! You're bleeding…everywhere!" She rips open a packet of tissues from her dress pocket and immediately tries to dab the wounds.

Jeremy tries frantically to hold her back. "No wait! Lyn-" The tissue in her hand connects with the tissue of his body. Then it pulls away.

"AAAIIIEEEEEAAAAA!" Now Jeremy's face is a cocktail of dirt, blood, and torn cleanex.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" Lyn moves in to try and pluck the remaining shreds individually, but Jeremy can already see where this is going."

"Stop Lyn! Stop it!" Now he is the one flailing wildly, but Lyn pulls away before her brother can land any hits. "Mom and dad! Just get mom and dad!"

"But I-"

"Please, just get them!" Lyn glances at the house, then back to Jeremy, then to the house again. Should she leave her brother? How will they react when they see him? "Lyn, go!" She takes flight without further prompting.

For the next few moments, Jeremy can only lie on his back and suck air through his teeth; it stings too much to do anything else. More time passes, but Lyn still does not return with their parents. _What's keeping her? Are they _that_ hard to wake up?_ Eventually Jeremy gets use enough to the pain to stand. It has by no means diminished, and each movement sends a fresh burning sensation through his wounds, but he is able to endure it, as one might the temperature of a hot tub after a long enough soak. Only now does he realize there is something else hurting him: something small is digging into his ribs. The pain is dull—little more than annoying compared to everything else, but it is still something Jeremy can do without, so he opens his breast pocket to remove it.

It is a book, a diary, Lyn's. She was so excited earlier that she didn't notice him appropriating it as they left the room. "Lyn sure didn't want me reading this thing." Jeremy says out loud. _Of course not, when do girls ever let their brothers read their private stuff?_ His mind argues. Jeremy is sure of two things: 1) Whatever that is wrong with him is written in this book and 2) If Lyn doesn't want him to know, it is for a good reason. But boys will be boys. "It _is_ about me, so I have a right to know." Jeremy opens the book at the half-way point, but it is blank. He leans back against a streetlight and works his way backwards to the final entry, muttering to himself. "Ok, just the last page; that's all I need to know, so nothing else. Aw screw it." Jeremy thumbs to the very beginning and reads.

**_April 4_**

**_I am starting this diary because I think I'm crazy and I need to write about it. Last night, I met Herpemon. He says he's a Digital Monster. I don't know much about digital stuff, but he is definitely a monster and very scary! But what is scarier is that he says he is my partner and I'm his tamer. Why do I have to be partners with something so mean and ugly, and how can I tame him? Mommy and daddy don't see him. They think he's my imaginary friend. But he's not my friend! And I don't think he's imaginary either. He broke a lamp and mommy daddy thought it was me! But they weren't angry. They said it's ok for me to act out because of what I heard last night. But it's not ok! It's all my fault that…_**

Jeremy cannot read the rest of it; the ink has long since blurred and the page is crumpled from exposure to liquid: tears, by the sound of it. He pauses for a moment and tries to think back, despite the risks to his brain. He's never heard of Herpemon, but surely he would have tried to help Lyn. In his head, he can see his sister, scared and sad in her room and looking at…something. Is that Herpemon? Does it have anything to do with the thing he keeps seeing? Jeremy cannot make it out the details. Is this really his memory or is he just imagining what he read? Bah! Too many questions. Jeremy turns the page and resumes reading.

**_April 5,_**

**_A ghost came to my room last night and tried to scare me. Or eat me. Herpemon says it is called Bakemon, and it is really a monster like him. I'm really glad he protected me from it, but I wish he didn't have to kill it. Herpemon says that digimon need to eat other digimon to live, but he looked like he was having more fun scaring poor Bakemon first. If I am his tamer, I am going to tame Herpemon to be good so maybe he doesn't need to kill all the other digimon._**

Jeremy's mind continues to translate Lyn's words into pictures. He can see Lyn sitting up in her bed with the covers tossed aside. Her stuffed animals are scattered all over the bed and the floor, but she doesn't care. She's terrified, petrified even: too afraid to move of the off-white tattered ghost monster that floats in front of her, his teeth sharp and bulgy, his eyes piercing red. Wait, no way Jeremy's imagination is that good, or that accurate. There's no way he could have ever known Bakemon looked just like that, or how Lyn's room was set up that night. He had to have been there, that's the only explanation.

"But then what did I do? And why didn't Lyn write about me?" Jeremy tries to concentrate, to think harder. The fire in his head rises up again and threatens to consume him, but it no longer feels as bad as it used to be. It still burns and itches in his mind, but like the pain on his body, Jeremy can push through it, and he goes back to that night.

--

The grim visage of Bakemon menacingly wails in front of his sister, flailing its ragged arms and gnashing those horrible teeth. It's getting ready to strike! Lyn eyes the ghoul with frightened tears, but her gaze shifts upward as a shadow falls over the unsuspecting Adult digimon—Herpemon! Still, try as he might, Jeremy cannot summon an image of the creature he knows to exist. A sixth-sense warns Bakemon at the last second, but it is already too late. It turns to look at his attacker…too look directly at Jeremy. The digimon screams!

--

Jeremy wills the memory to end. He is unable to endure the terror he feels emanating from Bakemon. Refuses to acknowledge the fact that he was the last thing it saw. Hot beads of sweat pour down his face and inflame his wounds. His heart thunders with the full fury of an orchestra's percussion section. Lyn's first entry was right: she had to be crazy! This whole thing was crazy! Jeremy hurls the diary away with an anguished cry, but the book bounces off a red bricked wall and lands open not three feet away. The entry is October 31: today.

_Finish it!_ Shouts a voice in his head.

_No! Enough!_

_You've already gone too far, there's no turning back. _Jeremy longs to run away, and leave the accursed text behind. He wants to run back into the house, with Lyn, mom, and dad; and never have to leave it again. His hands violently tremble as he grips the book's faces. The war within himself is reverberating through his entire body.

**_October 31,_**

**_Hooray it's Halloween!_**

Try as Jeremy might, he cannot focus on the final reading.

…**_when the dead come back_**

Thoughts continue to swirl in his head, images haunt his thoughts.

…**_Devimon last night_** **. **

Only the most outstanding words are able to make it through the clutter.

…**_unknown digimon...brother...aborted...Herpemon...transform...I gave him the name Jeremy, I hope he likes it. And I hope he still loves me…_**

He flings the diary as far as he can! Pages flap in futility until the book comes to rest in the middle of the street. His chest bulges as if hammered from within-- his heart is ready to burst! He was to push all of this out of his mind, forget everything-- even Lyn, but he has opened the floodgates, and there is no stopping the river of recollection that now drowns him. Faces he has never met, creatures he has never seen. Some die, others survive, all of them terrified beyond belief. Jeremy-no, he cannot call himself that; he can't even call himself human! Grief! Regret! Fear! Raw emotion overwhelms his senses, blinding his mind as tears blind his eyes. He does not even realize he is running, let alone where this path will lead him.

--

"Please, hurry! Hurry, you have to help him!" Lyn pleads. She hangs from her parents arms—one in each hand, trying desperately to drag them down the stairs. It had taken forever to rouse them out of bed. Even longer to explain that Herpemon had turned into their nonexistent unborn son, and that he was hurt. The two of them—swathed in green and blue bed robes, glance at each other with sleep-weary eyes. Beginning next month, they will consider therapy for their misguided daughter. _Hang on Jeremy!_ A final pull and they are out the door, but the street was empty. The only indication that anything has happened is a tarnished bike lying on its side, and some small patches of dried blood on the sidewalk-- hardly convincing evidence.

"Honey, we told you not to ride your bike without us." Her father groans.

Lyn's mother—though no more believing, shows greater concern when she kneels to examine her daughter's face. "Did you hit your head when you crashed your bike?"

"It wasn't me, it was Jeremy! And he's out here somewhere!" Lyn protests. "And he needs our help."

"Well she doesn't have a concussion," Reports her mother. "but maybe we should call Dr. Kido just to make sure."

"I'm sure she's fine dear. You know how active her imagination can be." Lyn's father begins to escort his wife back indoors. "Lyn, put your bike in the garage and come back inside. I'll make breakfa-er, lunch."

Lyn is no longer paying attention. She has no time for home cooked meals. A car passes over something in the road, flipping it through a puddle and fanning several pages soaked black with filthy water. Her diary! Why is it out here? It takes Lyn only a quarter of a second to make the connections. She looks left, then right, and then runs into the street to collect her written thoughts. The bike still seems functional when she inspects it, and Lyn climbs on without a second to lose! She has to find her brother, wherever he is!

--

The park, of course. It seems so obvious to Jeremy now…not that it would have fifteen minutes ago. A variety of environments, lots of trees and rocks from which to stalk—it's Herpemon's favorite hunting ground. No, not just Herpemon's…his too. A wave of depression crashes down on Jeremy's shoulders. He feels none of the desires, none of the horrible urges he felt in his memories, but a new personality and a new form cannot excuse all that he has done. Or all that he might do again. Whatever the circumstances, Jeremy is still guilty, and no less of a monster. The sound of running water-- a bridge stands not far off to his right; Jeremy never noticed it before, not even as Herpemon.

It has not rained recently, but the canal running beneath is surging. Jeremy still can't see the bottom as he leans over the railing. Although he remembers swimming once or twice as Herpemon (and hating it), he can't for the life of himself figure out how to do it in human shape. Maybe this is the answer he needs, the one he is looking for to atone for his sins. He places one dirty sneaker on the concrete rise.

"You know, I used a lot of energy to remold you. It'd be a shame to have my work thrown away like that." Jeremy turns his head to see a digimon—for no human ever dresses like that: all shades of blue, with moons adorning its body. Although he has never met such a thing in his short life, Jeremy is suddenly filled with loathing for the being before him. It is Herpemon's emotions, he realizes, for this is the same digimon that defeated him not twelve hours ago.

"What I do to myself is my business!" he declares. "I don't care what you think!" Jeremy jumps over the side! Instead of plunging feet first into a coursing river and drowning, the child splashes into a puddle barely an inch deep. The surprise causes him to stumble forward and he ends up on all fours, drenched.

Azumon shakes his great head, disappointed by the little creature's choice, but thoroughly amused by its reaction. He bats his left eye and the bridge shimmers until it once more takes its true shape of an ordinary sidewalk curb. "When will you learn that this is not about what I say or do? Nor is it about you." Azumon tries to guess what might be going through its mind, how he may react. Humans can be so emotional. "It is Lyn's choice whether you live, whether you die, as digimon or human."

"I was never human!" Jeremy spits. "I may look it, but I'm still data, through and through! All you did was change my shape, like your stupid illusions!"

Azumon sniffs. Stupid illusion indeed! In all of his Halloweens, he had never done anything quite like this. "But no matter how you look, or how you think, your bond with the girl remains."

"I'm not her real brother! You just made me think I was!" the tantrum sends up another spray of dirty water. Azumon grimaces as a few drops splash his face and stain his robes. The urge to destroy the child himself rises, but he quickly suppresses it.

"Does that even matter? Who cares if your core is a cybernetic entity given life, or the soul of an unborn fetus with a second chance? Lyn loved you even as a digimon and she still loves you now."

"The things I-"

"The things you did are what any wild digimon of your stature would do. That is why some are given tamers. I like to think I elevated you beyond that. You now have the chance to be more than just her partner, and you were doing an alright job so far. Why stop now?"

Jeremy tries to think of an answer but before he can, a terrified scream cuts interrupts them.

--

Lyn was peddling full-out! Her aching feet pushed her to speeds she had never before achieved! Her eyes darted left! Right! Left again! Never resting, always searching for some sign of Jeremy. _Where could he be?_ No time to question pedestrians, it would only waste time. The only other task that required her focus was dodging obstacles—trash receptacles of spoiled foods, stray cats, slower bikers.

_Beep! Beep! Beep! _From the alley ahead, a truck suddenly backed out in front of her! Lyn slammed the breaks and cranked the wheel. _Screeeeecch!_ The smell of burning rubber punctuated the air as the bike slid to a halt just parallel of the vehicle! No time to rest! She peddled again, racing along the truck's flank, trying to catch its tail as it continued backing. Finally! She was able to overtake the car and skirt around it!

"Jeremy!" Lyn called. "Jeremy, where are you?"

"EHAHAHAHA!" A figure swooped down from behind on wings of nightshade! Bony arms encircled Lyn! She screamed as her abductor lifted her off the bike and into the sky!

--

It is Lyn that Jeremy now hears. In the distance, he can see the skeletal figure carrying his sister over the tree-tops, towards the forested heart of the park. Jeremy acts without as much as a second thought! He leaves Azumon behind, and runs off in pursuit of Lyn and her captor.

--

"Let me go! Let me go!" As one might expect, Lyn twists and kicks furiously in the digimon's grasp! Not once does she think about what will happen if he _does_ let go from this altitude. Despite lacking any visible muscles, the creature's blood-stained bones hold firm.

"Will you stop struggling?" Skull Satamon demands, "I hate my children stringy." Of course, the child only triples her efforts, but hearing her frightened shrieks is well worth it. When they near the desired spot, the demon Perfect flexes his wings, spilling some of the air beneath them and dropping just above the tree line. He lets go of the squirming child and she drops out of sight. A chorus of snapping branches and tortured squeals accompany her journey down until Skull Satamon hears a satisfying _thump._ No doubt she is still alive, but the fall should have taken the fight out of her. _Among a few other things._ He snickers and drops through the branches, ready to enjoy his meal.

He finds Lyn farther off than he expected, still trying to crawl away. She begins pounding on his wrists when he grabs her. "Leave me alone! Go away!" For such a frail little child, she is tougher than she looks, but hopefully not too tough for his digestive tract.

"Heh, good one. Sorry, but kids got to die, and I've got to eat!" it gleefully cackles. Lyn had the feeling that Skull Satamon wasn't sorry at all. All of a sudden, the monster's tone turns serious. The burning coals that are his eyes blaze a path into her soul. "Besides, I owe you for last night."

_Last night?_ Thinks Lyn. They never encountered this creature before! In fact, the only digimon she saw besides Herpemon was, "Devimon!"

"Not anymore, fleshling."

"Wait, I tried to save you from Herpemon, don't you remember?"

"Do you think I care?" The digimon jerks Lyn to his face with such force that she can hear her own shoulder pop. "A digimon like me is above weak things like gratitude and honor." Its breath is rancid with decay and befitting its outer form. "I would have eaten you then and there if your pet hadn't been around. Which leads us to the here and now…let's try your life force first!"

"Hey, how' bout trying a knuckle sandwich!" It is as cool a line as an eight year old can ask for, and strikingly appropriate. Jeremy leaps into the air with his fist raised against Skull Satamon! The digimon bats him aside without as much as a glance.

"Jeremy!"

Compared to everything else he has felt today, the soft autumn leaves may as well be a pile of fluffy pillows. Pillows, that crunch. A fallen branch lies nearby. Jeremy accepts the gift and charges the digimon again, holding his weapon high! _Crack! _He swings down on Skull Satamon's shin with all his might and shatters it-- the branch, not the shin. In an instant, the evil digimon has Jeremy in its grasp! He can feel his rips cracking, the bony, iron-clad fingers literally crushing the life out of him!

"I do not know why you have such an eager death wish, boy, but you are going to have to wait your turn!" Skull Satamon flings him through the air. His back strikes a tree and his entire body contorts into a u-shape! An explosion of pain shoots up Jeremy's spine and overloads his senses as he drops to the ground.

"Lyn…" he groans, but be can already feel his mind numbing. Her desperate screams bring Jeremy back to full alertness, but his body still will not respond. _No! No, Lyn! Dammit!_ What emotion is this that consumes him now? Grief—no, he does not give up so easily. Anger? Frustration?

"Azumon! Help!"

"_This is not my battle." _His voice replies from afar. _"The only person, who can help Lyn, is you."_

But all of Jeremy's efforts have met with failure. _What good am I?!_ He silently screams. _What good am I if I can't protect her as a brother?_

_"Then don't be her brother. Protect her as a partner."_ Whose voice is that? Azumon? Herpemon? His own? It is a choice Jeremy doesn't want to make, a life he never wants to return to. Lyn's cries begin to fade in the distance and it terrifies him to action. His heart roars in his chest, screams for him to decide before it's too late! _What good is this life, without the person who values it most?_ Jeremy closes his eyes. He takes what he knows will be his final breath, and surrenders to the powers that be.

The pain is immense! His body is being torn apart from the inside out! His skull bulges and stretches, his extremities flail uncontrollably! Jeremy can only watch with horror as his stomach spasms, and his naval splits open to give way to a segmented black tail some twenty feet in length! Eight of his ribs twist and snap to wrench themselves free of his sternum! Jeremy arches his neck and cries out as they tear out of his back and reshape into a set of deep red, arthropod digits. His flesh loses all of its pallor; his arms and legs shrivel and shrink into useless, under-developed nubs. The air comes alive with the sound of tearing clothing and ripping skin! What was once a boy's body balloons and contorts into a monstrous misshapen entity, who's eyeless, earless face is defined by a pair of hulking, grinning lips and teeth the size of textbooks. Jeremy was no more.

Herpemon takes his first breath, then instantly spits it back out with a stream of saliva in raucous laughter! He lives! And to celebrate, he is going to tear that filthy Azumon limb from limb! No, that will have to come second. First thing's first, his tamer needs him.

Skull Satamon looks up from his savory soul-draining to see the tittering obscenity barreling towards him! There's no time to use the girl as a shield, Herpemon lunges with all eight claws, but the wily skeleton slips by the strike with little trouble. What he did not anticipate is the mutant digimon's massive tail! Several trees pay the price for being in the great appendage's way and explode outwards. It catches Skull Satamon unawares and bludgeons him into several more.

"You think you can have your way with me?" Skull Satamon shrieks? "Do you forget who has your tamer?" But the girl is no longer in his clutches. _Where is it?? What happened?_ The undead monster furiously glances around, but to no avail!

_"Cht-cht-cht-cht-cht-cht-cht!"_ That tittering rattlesnake sound! Herpemon bares its teeth at him, lips contorted into a perpetual twisted grin. Two of the monster's spear-like legs gently cradle Lyn's unconscious body. His residual stub of a hand runs lightly through her hair. Skull Satamon summons his precious staff of darkness to his aid. He levels it at his enemy, preparing for the full on fight that is to come. Herpemon has no intention of letting Lyn come to harm. He strokes her head one more time and places the child in the safest place available: the coils at the tip of his tail. The rest of the snaking limb compresses like a spring and Herpemon crouches. _"Cht-cht-cht-cht-cht-cht-cht!"_

It is a standoff. The virus digimon size each other up, waiting for one another to make the first fatal mistake. Crows begin to gather from above, unaware that they cannot enjoy the spoils of this fight. The wind howls, demanding the blood that is to be promised!

Herpemon acts! He parts his jaws and several faux heads spring forth, "BOOGA! BOOGA! BOOGA!"

Skull Satamon falls for the mock-charge and rushes in! "Nail Bone!" Herpemon launches himself skywards, the attack passes harmlessly beneath him. Then gravity takes over and the creeping monster drops! He juts his legs forward-- fully intent on spearing his hapless target, but Skull Satamon dances out of the way. He twirls the staff weapon above his head and strikes again! "Skull Hammer!" Herpemon parries it with three legs and stabs with another! Skull Satamon in turn, deflects that and brings his weapon around again! They trade blows that are as quick as they are fierce! Stab! Parry! Strike! Parry! Strike! Stab! Parry! The ring of clashing bone and chitin pierce the air! Herpemon rises up on his tail, allowing all eight limbs to lash out and overwhelm Skull Satamon's defenses! The skeletal being retreats under such an onslaught! The orb on one end of his staff glows, and he attacks long-range with a brilliant stream of evil light!

"Midnight Kiss!" Herpemon's entire mouth becomes a black hole to consuming the devil digimon's attack whole, along with several birds that venture too close! Skull Satamon himself is sucked forwards, but at the last second he abandons his weapon and delivers a devastating punch to Herpemon's bulbous head! It caves like a water balloon. Skull Satamon's attack breaks the mutant's concentration and sends it reeling with his staff is still in its jaws. The creeping horror bites down in a mixture of anger and ecstasy and snaps the weapon like a toothpick. The undead digimon presses the attack, using the loss of his staff to fuel his rage!

_You have it on the ropes!_ He tells himself! _Finish it and the girl is all yours!_ Smaller size and greater speed work to Skull Satamon's advantage. He pummels Herpemon through the trees, circling in and out, moving out of the way before a counterattack connects! Punch! Dodge! Punch! Dodge! Herpemon flails his legs in a desperate attempt to force his attacker back! It works to no avail. The bony digimon slips in and lands another hit!

Skull Satamon becomes emboldened by his success, the wicked virus goes out of his way to catch one of Herpemon's limbs with his hand to punctuate his superiority. It is a dangerous mistake. Almost at once, his opponent zeros in on the now stationary target and the seven free legs strike! Skull Satamon narrowly leaps back in time! The attack has missed, but the desired effect has been achieved: Herpemon moment's respite it needs to collect itself. Never again will Skull Satamon be able to catch him off-guard.

"Cheh, you thinks it makes a difference?" He remains undaunted and defiant. "Look at you, shuffling about like a poisoned crab. You are a cockroach on its last legs!"

Herpemon continues to grin at Skull Satamon-- mocking him, denying him the respect he so richly deserves.

"I'll finish you with my bare hands!" As the skeleton lunges, Herpemon locks his legs in front of his body to form a protective cage. It buckles under Skull Satamon's assault but like a chain-linked fence, the structure redirects the force and springs back outwards! The attacker is thrown back on his rump. His pride is wounded more than his body. He gets to his feet just as Herpemon pounces! So huge, but so fast! No time to dodge! Skull Satamon catches Herpemon's legs just inches from his face as they stab at him, two in each hand! The remaining four dig into the ground to help drive the monster's gargantuan bulk forward. Skull Satamon's back strains under the pressure forced on him by the beast, but he holds on, and uses all the power in his legs to push back against his attacker. Slowly but surely, Herpemon loses ground. "I'm no longer one of the weak Adult levels you enjoy picking on." Sneers Skull Satamon. "You've finally met your better." But Herpemon's smile only broadens.

"I don't prey on the weak, I prey on the fearful." Saliva oozes from his gums as his teeth part. "No matter how strong you get, your terror will still be my greatest weapon."

"I have evolved! I'm not afraid of you or anyone else, not anymore!" Skull Satamon fortifies his mind and doubles his resolve, but Herpemon has already felt his brain waves, has already identified the signals that falter the most.

"Oh, I beg to differ." Although the sound is coming from Herpemon, the voice is not its own. One of the dummy heads is protruding from his mouth again, but now it has taken on a new shape.

"No…" Skull Satamon's mirror image stares back at him, but not him as he is now. It is his previous self, the Devimon stage he has worked so hard to transcend.  
"What's the matter, something on your mind?" taunts a voice that should only be his. The face brims with mirthful glee. "Afraid of turning back, are we?"

"Never! I fear nothing now!"

"Nothing except your own weakness. _Our_ own weakness. Scared of backsliding? Going back to being just a puny adult? Hm?"

"You're just a fake! A spoof!" Skull Satamon cries. Panic grips his wicked heart. Illusion or not, he wants to run, wants to get away from this terrible reminder, less it come true!

"I am what you once were, and will soon be again." Faux-Devimon cackles. "After all, you spent the most time in my body." More Devimon heads extend from Herpemon's mouth and a chorus of wicked laughter rises above the trees. "Join us! Join us! Join us!" Skull Satamon's mind begins to spiral. His screams for focus go unanswered, betrayed by his own body.

Herpemon can feel his prey weakening, in body as well as spirit. His senses also tell him that it wouldn't be long now before Skull Satamon descends into blind rage. If he is going to act, now is the time. Like a cobra, Herpemon suddenly rears up off the ground until most of his entire form is suspended in the air. The stupefied Skull Satamon hangs on for a moment, but his grip breaks and he drops back to earth, landing hard on his back. Herpemon dives after him! In a flash, the lethal obscenity has coiled itself around its victim, restricting his movement. All eight legs jut forward and finally find the target they have sought so hard for—Skull Satamon's blackened digi-core. The wounded creature shrieks as his soul, his very essence of being, is penetrated. Herpemon worms deeper, twitching and twisting those limbs as if tuning a musical instrument, until he elicits the perfect cries of anguish from his enemy. For the last time, the Devimon head appears before the trembling skeleton. "And now, I fulfill my promise."

The visage lunges, jaws agape! It clamps its maw over Skull Satamon and begins to feed. More heads follow, swarming in. Three! Five! A dozen! All of them jockey for every available space on the doomed digimon, quickly losing their shape as bestial craving overtakes them. If Herpemon did not need the nutrition, he would be happy to feed on Skull Satamon's fear lone. So sweet! So invigorating! No emotion can possibly be more empowering! As much as he is enjoying himself however, Herpemon is careful not to drain his prey dry _too _quickly. He moderates his feeding and employs just enough patience to keep the creature conscious, and fully terrified. At last, the threshold is crossed. Enough power has been siphoned away and a real Devimon now lies shaking in his coils.

"Was it all that bad??" Herpemon asks. "You're alive aren't you? You faced your worst fear, and lived" Devimon does not reply. His mind has deteriorated too far. "Of course, now that means you have a new greatest fear, don't you?" the loathsome creature hisses. Drool drips everywhere, burning the very ground. "I think I know what that is." Devimon's eyes grow wide…but not as wide as Herpemon's jaws. A cry goes up amongst the crows. Not even the scavengers want a part in this.

--

_"Cht-cht-cht-cht-cht-cht-cht!"_

Lyn opens her tired eyes at the sound of that familiar, but frightening noise. Her head feels light and she is too weak to move. Her vision a mess of blurs, but Lyn can just barely make out someone standing over her. "Jeremy?"

"Shhh, you've had a long day. Close your eyes and rest." The hand that brushes her cheek feels cold and rubbery, but Lyn doesn't mind. She smiles as she nods off, happy to be with her brother once again.

--

The sun makes contact with the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant spread of oranges and pinks that blend seamlessly with the leaves that haven't fallen.

When Herpemon is sure his tamer is asleep, he confronts the contemptuous creature that started this entire mess…the one who even now, watches from a low-hanging branch, like a spectator at a sporting event.

"I have already defeated you once today, Herpemon, and I am sure that you don't want to repeat this debacle."

"You failed, Azumon." Herpemon declares.

A bemused look crosses the sorcerer digimon's face. His time on earth grows short. Already, he can feel his body growing weary. Still, he should be able to humor this cretin of a digimon a little longer. "Failed? Whatever do you mean?"

"You thought that time as a human would change me, but you were wrong. I may remember everything that has happened today, but I cherish none of it. I am Herpemon, and nothing—no one else."

_Tisk, tisk, tisk._ "Did you not hear me the first time?" Azumon floats to the ground. He runs his hand affectionately through Lyn's hair, hoping to carry the feeling with him into hibernation. The act elicits a hiss from Herpemon, but the digimon does not attack. "This has nothing to do with you, or I. What I have done, I did for the child."

Herpemon snickers. "Toying with her emotions? Using your illusions to create an imaginary brother? And I thought I was a cruel one." He uses his tail to gently scoop his tamer out of Azumon's reach and lays her on his back.

"Funny you should mention that." Says Azumon as he departs. "When I cast my Lunar Judgment on you, it was already morning."

"What of it?"

Azumon works his way deeper into the trees, bending back, but never breaking the branches in his way. "Usually, I can only use it at night. That's why I think your transformation is so special."

Herpemon gives an exasperated huff. The answer is anticlimactic at best. He makes sure Lyn is secure on his back, and then begins the journey home.

"Because the Lunar Judgment works in a very specific manner." continues Azumon. An irritated Herpemon turns back towards him, but allows the vaccine type to proceed. "True to its name, my attack uses the moon's rays to warp the target, building layer upon layer, until it is completely covered by an illusion." The mystic digimon is barely audible now. "But like I said, you were transformed by the power of _daylight_. One must wonder Herpemon, what effects did using the moon's _opposite_ have?"

Even without eyes, Herpemon can tell the spiteful old bag is grinning, ear to ear. "Don't let me catch you around here again."

"You won't." Azumon promises, but they are so far apart that Herpemon isn't sure he can hear correctly. "At least not until next year…Happy Halloween."


End file.
